Graphic Creation Technique Needed

[daltoncalford]

Hi All,

I need help (yea, well, mental is assumed but lets skip that and go into a project I have given myself)

I have been working on my world builder program and pdf documentation and realized I need a whole lot of graphics. Now I need to figure out how to generate them either manually, or programatically.

I need graphics of stars, either animated gif's or mpg's. I need to be able to create a graphic for every colour/size/type of star.

I also need the same for planets.

Now I have both NBOS and Profantasy software, and I don't have a problem with long tedious work, but, I am looking for techniques used by those who are better in the graphic design areas than I am.

Any guidence is greatly appreciated.

best regards

Dalton

 

[Merxiless]

Go to www.diardsoftware.com, and get "Universe."

I think coffecup software might sill have an animated gif tool.

What are you looking for? Pictures and stuff for library data?

Suns with flaming coronas?

And when you say all the star types, do you mean : OBAFGKM, or OBAFGKMRNS, or subdwarfs, giants, etc? Also, brown dwarfs? Neutron Stars?

I might be able to help you, or do pics for you.

Or NASA or JPL might have a website with what you need or similar.

 

[daltoncalford]

Originally posted by Merxiless:
Go to www.diardsoftware.com, and get "Universe."

I think coffecup software might sill have an animated gif tool.

What are you looking for? Pictures and stuff for library data?

Suns with flaming coronas?

And when you say all the star types, do you mean : OBAFGKM, or OBAFGKMRNS, or subdwarfs, giants, etc? Also, brown dwarfs? Neutron Stars?

I might be able to help you, or do pics for you.

Or NASA or JPL might have a website with what you need or similar.

OBAFGKMRNS As long as they occur within 1000ly of earth, I can do a query on my database and give you an exact breakdown as per glease.

I am looking for a nice flaiming corona effect that will show up in different detail views for a cross OS library data program (written in freepascal with the lazarus ide).

This is for my Traveller Earth Ascendant Traveller Universe, but it will be for everyones use.

Thanks

Dalton

 

[daltoncalford]

I just downloaded universe, and although I like the idea of using two different coloured/gradient balls to represent suns, it misses the solar flares/sun spot activity that would give such nice detail to the pictures.

Does any one have any ideas of how I could create that flaring effect? I can make suns just like universe now that I know their technique.

All suggestions welcome.

best regards

Dalton

 

[Berg]

This is for my Traveller Earth Ascendant Traveller Universe, but it will be for everyones use

This what I love about the Traveller community.
We'll bicker and fight, create and help, but in the end we share...the good and the bad

(In this case the Good!)

 

[Andrew Boulton]

http://www.cix.co.uk/~fubar/Traveller/trav3d/igsm/index.htm any use?

 

[daltoncalford]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
http://www.cix.co.uk/~fubar/Traveller/trav3d/igsm/index.htm any use?

Very, Very Nice.

I really need to get the pics on a flat black background, perhaps with an alpha layer for proper merging with a variety of backgrounds.

How did you create the worlds?

I was planning to use profantasy fractal terrains but I can't get the clouds to look right and gas giants just don't work well at all.

I need to be able to generate about 16 different stock pieces of art for each type of world. Preferably as animated gifs so that they look different when placed in different system layouts.

Do you have any suggestions on Solar flaring/sunspot creation to simulate a suns surface?

best regards

Dalton

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Not a problem to re-render them w/out the background (if I can find the time).

The textures were created with LunarCell, then imported into my 3d app.

For stars you need SolarCell.

http://www.flamingpear.com/lunarcell.html
http://www.flamingpear.com/solarcell.html

 

[daltoncalford]

Thanks Andrew, those plugins look perfect, except I don't have windows. I use Gimp 2 on linux.

Those plugins don't help me and I don't want to install windows just to do one small element of my project. I would buy the space package for someone else if they would do the work.

Oh well, I am getting overwhelmed with all the work, I just got my character creation drafts back and, although it is conceptually complete, it needs a full rewrite.

At this rate I will never get to the equipment writeups.

best regards

Dalton